UK fishermen could be in line for another grim year with the first indications now emerging from the EC of recommendations for ‘draconian’ cuts in fishing opportunity and effort control for 2007.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) met with EC fisheries officials in Brussels yesterday and it emerged from the talks that the Commission is intent on implementing extremely tight control measures for deepwater stocks and for cod.

For deepwater stocks, it looks likely that the EC will recommend dramatic cuts in fishing opportunity on conservation grounds. This will threaten the viability of a small number of Scottish boats who were encouraged to join this fishery by the government and EC as a new opportunity several years ago.

For cod, the federation says it is clear despite a move towards a review of the Cod Recovery Plan,that a precautionary approach will be taken by the Commission again this year. If, as seems likely, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) again advises for a zero catch, then the Commission will recommend a challenging cut in the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) in cod and the effort employed in cod catching areas.

“The meeting gave us a clear insight into the EC’s thinking on fishing opportunity and control of fishing effort for 2007,” said SFF chief executive, Bertie Armstrong.

“There are some real challenges ahead, with the initial proposals on both deepwater stocks and cod having the potential for serious affects on the Scottish fleet if put into action.

“Measures surrounding the Cod Recovery Plan have the potential to affect a large number of vessels in the Scottish fleet, despite the fact that cod is no longer a target species for this fleet, but is a by-catch in mixed fisheries.”

The SFF and its equivalent body in England the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, maintains that the Cod Recovery Plan introduced in February 2004 has failed to meet its objectives, given that the targets set are hopelessly unrealistic and it has not been possible to accurately measure any progress.

“The plan contains mandatory rules on reductions in quota and fishing effort and in the absence of proper scientific evidence, the application of these rules in an excessively precautionary way will have draconian results for wide sectors of the Scottish fleet,” said Mr Armstrong.

The proposals made by the EC will be subject for discussion over the remainder of 2006, with the final decisions being made in the December Council of Ministers meeting.

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